


every little thing

by staticpetrichor



Series: MCU prompts [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, My First Work in This Fandom, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Has Anxiety, Tony Stark Has A Heart, he actually does really good ok, tonys bad at feelings but hes trying so hard i love him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-19 14:15:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22345567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/staticpetrichor/pseuds/staticpetrichor
Summary: sometimes all the little things add up
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: MCU prompts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1608514
Comments: 1
Kudos: 67





	every little thing

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Italiano available: [Ogni Piccola Cosa](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23900470) by [Miryel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miryel/pseuds/Miryel)



> this was based on an anon ask from tumblr! they wanted this prompt "Person A has been in their room for a while blasting a bunch of sad / emo songs on their speakers and Person B comes in to ask if they’re okay" and they also wanted it to deal with Peter's anxiety!
> 
> lyrics are from the scientist by coldplay 
> 
> feel free to scream at me @tonystarksbish or @somanyshipsss
> 
> hope you all enjoy :)

Peter hadn’t immediately joined Tony in the lab and honestly that should’ve been the first warning sign. The kid was nearly as hard to get out of there as his mentor. The only difference was Peter could be enticed out with food, while Tony’s kryptonite remained coffee.

Or, apparently, Peter not showing up. 

He knew from Friday’s alert that Happy had dropped the kid off nearly half an hour ago and still he was a no show. So Tony puts his current project aside and ambles out of the shop and up to the room Peter usually stayed in but still refused to call his.

The first thing he notices is the absolutely fucking _blaring_ music. Which is in no way good for Peter’s hypersensitive senses. The second thing is the lyrics to said song:

_“Nobody said it was easy_

_It’s such a shame for us to part_

_Nobody said it was easy_

_No one ever said it would be this hard_

_Oh take me back to the start”_

Generally speaking the kid enjoyed upbeat, somewhat chaotic songs. Songs that matched his personality, as Tony often quipped. 

This kind of depressing, soul searching shit had its place, sure, but it wasn’t with the Spiderkid. To put it in simple terms this was all out of the ordinary and not in a good way. So Tony raps his knuckles sharply against the door. 

Almost immediately the music turns off and a strained, “Sorry, just a minute,” is hollered out at him. He doesn’t bother responding, there is no chance Peter hasn’t already figured out who it is. Head already slipping into worried mode, he runs through any possible thing that could’ve left Peter upset.

A painful anniversary? But that’s a stupid thought because Tony knew those and they weren’t even close. 

Problems with that asshole at school? _Possible._

Something entirely unrelated? _Also possible._

Of course the concocted scenarios grow more and more elaborate while he waits for Peter to open the door, and his foot can’t help but start tapping anxiously.

The kid appears with an air of false exuberance that Tony could damn near feel and he won’t deny his surprise. Faking it definitely wasn’t a route he thought Peter would take. 

Maybe a few months ago but not now. 

He wouldn’t call himself the most emotionally available person in the world but he and Peter had definitely become close enough to stop faking shit. 

Right? 

_Right._

“What’s wrong?” Peter asks, eyes looking anywhere but him, which isn’t helping his case at all. 

“Funny, was about to ask you the same thing. There’s an actual billion dollar lab downstairs and you’re holed up in here? What’s wrong with you?” He nearly cringes, the words coming out much more accusatory then he had planned. 

Peter pulls back, not much, just enough that Tony knows he’s messed up, and the laugh that comes out of him is an awful thing. Polite and fake and hideous. It’s so wrong that it makes something in Tony’s chest ache. The urge to rub at it, to make it go away, almost overpowers him and his hands flex at his sides to keep from doing just that.

“Yeah, sorry, I just needed to get some stuff done first.”

“Don’t apologize for being responsible, Jesus.” It’s not what he wants to say but, it is what comes out. _You can do better than that, Stark._

“Was there a reason for your, uh, music choices?”

And yeah the kid’s face is most definitely turning red as he says, “A reason?” 

“Does Coldplay help you study?”

“You recognized the band? Mr. Stark, I didn’t know you were a fan!”

_Smart-assery to avoid feelings, you’ve got experience in that at least._

Tony’s once more hit with how much of a double edged sword having a kid who’s similar to you is. On one hand, yeah he has experience with it which does help. But on the other he hates that Peter feels like he has to hide this from him, hates that he has to struggle at all and especially that he thinks he has to do it alone. 

“Ha ha, if superhero-ing doesn’t pan out you’ve got a career in comedy lined up.” So right now would probably be a good time to keep chipping away at that cycle of sarcasm and just fix this. Because he can definitely fix it. That’s a thing he can do. 

“Seriously though, you okay? Nothing happened today or anything?” Okay, yeah that wasn’t bad. He _is_ getting better at this. Practice makes perfect and all that. 

“Nothing happened.” Peter’s fingers twist together in front of him as he leans against the doorway, anxiety a tangible thing rolling off of him in all consuming waves. 

“But you aren’t okay.” And it isn’t a question because Peter doesn’t need questions right now. 

“I’m, I mean I’m not _not_ okay.” 

“Anything in particular trigger it?” Because they’ve talked about this before, he knows that sometimes someone says something and it isn’t meant to hurt but Peter’s head can’t help but make it.

“Not really. It’s just, y’know when there’s a ton of little things? And they just keep multiplying and you can’t stop them? And they keep weighing you down and eventually there’s just too many of them and it - it _hurts_ , Mr. Stark.” His voice breaks at the end, a hand pushing against his heart like he can make it slow down. 

Peter’s breaths turn shallow and his free hand knots in his own hair, tugging it way too roughly for Tony to ignore. 

He reaches out cautiously, snagging the kid’s wrist and tugging him forward. Tony’s wariness isn’t necessary however, because the second Peter realizes what he’s trying to do he pitches forward, face smashing into Tony’s chest with the kind of desperation his mentor hates himself for not noticing sooner. 

“It’s alright, it isn’t stupid,” He adds, since he knows that one is coming, “Not one bit.”

His arm wraps around Peter’s shoulders, half supporting and half comforting, and waits until his panicked breathing has slowed. Waits until Peter sighs roughly and slowly extracts himself from the embrace, swiping irritably at his face as he does so. 

“I should’ve mentioned it early,” He admits, shoulders curving inward with a weight no one, let alone a 15 year old, should have to carry. 

“Yeah. But I’d be a jackass if I expected that, I know how hard it is to let people in.” Tony doesn’t try to hide his self-conscious laugh, “When you hold all this shit inside for that long, letting it out feels like a mistake. Even when you know it isn’t.” 

“It’s how anxiety works, isn’t it? It’s so much stronger in the quiet, which is why it doesn’t want you to speak out? Why it makes you think you’re annoying everyone?”

“That is exactly how it works, kid. But, just for the record, you could never annoy me.”

“Uh huh.”

“I’m not kidding! Have you seen the people I live with? If Barton hasn’t driven me insane by now, sorry but it’s impossible.”

“Now you’re making it sound like a challenge.” Peter smirks back, shutting his door and heading toward the kitchen, leaving Tony to follow him with an indignant huff and a bolt of relief.

So, yeah. Maybe the kid isn’t okay all the time. And no, it isn’t fair. But watching him dig through the fridge in search of leftover pizza, still tense but now smiling, all Tony can think is _look how hard he’s trying._

How in the hell could he ever ask for anything more? 


End file.
